DEAR ABBY: I was recently called to come in to work at the grocery story where I am employed because my department manager, "Meg," didn't show up. After I finished the shift, I stopped by Meg's house to check on her. She didn't answer the door. Eventually a neighbor and I were able to enter her home and found her very ill. We called 911, and Meg was taken to the hospital. She's now in the ICU.

DETROIT - A tanker crashed into a guardrail on a highway overpass Thursday, plummeting 30 to 40 feet to the ground where it exploded and caught fire near a home. The cab of the tanker got stuck on the barrier and the driver was killed, police said.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's western province of Anbar, origin of the Sunni Arab insurgency that arose in the early months of U.S. occupation, will be returned to Iraqi control in March, a senior U.S. general said Thursday.

NEW YORK - The economic outlook became more uncertain Thursday after many of the nation's big retailers reported weaker than expected holiday sales, the result of consumers cutting their spending due to higher energy prices and the ongoing housing slump.

WASHINGTON - A new Army recruiting program that relies on National Guard soldiers to help recruit for the active duty Army has brought more than 500 sign-ups in its first three months, according to the Guard.